


All Stories Leave Scars (Especially the Bad Ones)

by Child_Of_Wonderland



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo (Shadowhunters/The Mortal Instruments) [6]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Agony Rune, Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alec Lightwood Feels, Alec Lightwood Has Feelings, Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Alec Lightwood Needs A Hug, Bad Parent Robert Lightwood, Childhood Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Domestic Boyfriends, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Loves Alec Lightwood, Protective Magnus Bane, Robert Lightwood Being an Asshole, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-26 01:43:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19758028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Child_Of_Wonderland/pseuds/Child_Of_Wonderland
Summary: Scars are stories that are carved into the skin, each one has a special story and special emotions that come along with them. Some are worse than others***Or Alec opens up about some unconventional punishments from his childhood.





	All Stories Leave Scars (Especially the Bad Ones)

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Hidden Scars

Magnus chuckles softly as Alec presses a tickling kiss against the warlock’s back. Alec presses another kiss down Magnus’s spine, causing him to arch slightly towards Alec. Sun is starting to filter through the curtains and paints the two of them with a warm, golden light. 

“Good morning Alexander.” Magnus giggles as he rolls over, pulling Alec down to kiss him sweetly. Alec smiles against his lips and falls down beside Magnus, turning to face him with a smile. 

“Mornin’ Magnus.” Alec replies softly and intertwines his fingers with Magnus’s. Magnus holds the hand up to his lips, pressing a sweet kiss on his lover’s hand. The red sheets wrap around the two of them and Alec pulls Magnus closer. The warlock runs his hands down Alec’s skin, tracing runes as Alec smiles dopily over at him. 

“When do you have to go in?” Magnus asks softly and Alec catches his hand, taking it in his once again.

“Not for a while. Izzy made me take a half day, don’t have to go in until around noon.” Alec replies softly and Magnus practically beams at him, nuzzling into Alec’s bare chest. Alec wraps his arms around him, running a hand up and down Magnus’s back. 

“Pastries from Paris,” Magnus insists as he pulls Alec out of the bed eagerly, “here or Paris?” Alec follows him blindly and grabs Magnus, kissing him again and running his hands along Magnus’s back. Magnus sinks into him, laughing against Alec’s eager lips. Magnus traces the runes on his shoulders and Alec pulls him back onto the bed.

“Later.” Alec promises and Magnus nods his head, going back to absentmindedly tracing the runes on Alec’s chest. He moves down from rune to rune until he’s tracing one rune scar on his hip. The small, silver scar twirls in a way that makes Magnus stop and wonder what rune could have possibly once existed there.

“What was this one?” Magnus asks softly as he traces over it again, curiosity lacing his voice as he traces the rune once again. Alec looks down at where Magnus’s hand is and freezes, his entire body tensing immediately as soon as he spots which rune it is.

“Oh um...nothing” Alec replies flippantly, grabbing Magnus’s hand to stop him from tracing the scar any more. Magnus looks at him curiously, scrunching his eyebrows together as he watches Alec. 

“You wanted pastries right?” Alec deflects and stangs up himself, this time pulling Magnus with him as he stands.

“Alexander.” Magnus insists but Alec waves it off, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Alec pulls on his discarded sweatpants from the night before and makes his way out of the bedroom with tense shoulders. Before he gets fully out of the bedroom, Magnus is wrapping a hand around Alec’s wrist and holding him back.

“Please.” Magnus looks up at him with a pleading look and Alec seems to deflate right in front of him. He sighs and avoids Magnus’s eyes but lets himself be led back to the bed. Magnus cups Alec’s cheek and forces the shadowhunter to meet Magnus’s eyes, “You know I won’t think any less of you.”

“Don’t speak too soon Magnus.” Alec states before nodding his head, “It’s an agony rune.” Alec doesn’t get to continue because Magnus is practically flying to his feet with anger in his eyes. Alec ducks his head, eyes blinking back tears as he tightens his hands in his lap.

“Why.” Is all that Alec gets from Magnus and he bites his lip to keep from spilling everything out. Magnus kneels in front of him and Alec finds himself looking into the broken, sad eyes of his lover. Alec knew Magnus would react that way. After all, Magnus had been subject to the agony rune not long ago while in Valentines body and the memory breaks Alec’s heart. 

“Alexander, why?” Magnus practically cries and when Alec meets his eyes, they’re shining with a mix of fear and unshed tears. 

“It was punishment. I deserved it, don’t worry Magnus, it’s okay.” Alec reassures, trying to keep his voice flippant and uncaring about his own experiences, “I’m sorry to bring it up, I know you don’t like the memories it’s associated with.” Magnus seems to lose his cool as soon as the words leave Alec’s mouth and he properly stands up to look down at the other.

“Alexander, don’t do that.” Magnus is practically begging and he sits beside Alec, hesitantly grabbing the shadowhunter’s hand for comfort, “What do you mean punishment?” Alec moves to look at Magnus properly, a sad and hurt look in his eyes that has Magnus wrapping an arm around Alec to hold him close. Alec leans his head on Magnus’s shoulder, curling his legs to his chest protectively. 

“In some shadowhunter families, they’ll beat the kids as punishment. Others will lock them up and starve them. They usually will do something that leaves a mark, such as a bruise or visible ribs. It gives the parents some satisfaction.” Alec starts softly and Magnus tightens his grip on Alec’s shoulders, pressing a reassuring kiss to the shadowhunter’s bare shoulder, “My parents were different. They were really focused on looks, always have been. They much preferred cutting remarks and things they knew would cause pain but not be visible, like the agony rune.” Alec’s voice breaks slightly and he stops talking, ducking his head to hide it in Magnus’s bare chest. Magnus holds him close and runs a hand up and down his back. 

“Anytime Jace ignored the rules or Izzy went out with a downworlder. Anytime I made a mistake or followed my siblings out on an unsanctioned mission. They’d take me into their office, the same office I’m in now.” Alec continues but stops suddenly, biting his lip and clasping his hands to hide the shaking of them.

“Oh Alexander.” Magnus whispers against Alec’s hair and Alec tenses under Magnus’s arms, turning so he can hide his glassy eyes from the warlock, “You don’t need to continue...I’m sorry for asking.” Magnus’s voice is laced with guilt and it makes Alec want to reach out of the protective bubble he has made. His legs are still pulled towards his body, hiding his chest and hip from view, and his head is ducked down and turned away from Magnus. Magnus gently pulls at his chest and Alec is dragged back up towards the headboard and the sheets are soon being wrapped around his legs. Magnus drapes the throw blanket at the end of the bed around their shoulders and Alec buries himself under Magnus’s arm and leans against his chest.

“I want to.” Alec insists after a long silence, “I’ve never really told anyone before.” Magnus nods encouragingly, but doesn’t say anything in the long pause that follows. Alec will start in his own time so Magnus sits and holds him, pressing sweet kisses to Alec’s temple as the two of them wait.

“Like I said, anytime someone did something they didn’t like, I was chosen to take the punishment. I didn’t mind it, not that I was taking them at least. I would never let Izzy or Jace go through that, they don’t deserve it.” Alec quietly starts and takes another steadying breath before continuing on, “It hurt, of course it did. They wouldn’t have used it if it didn’t but I think they also just liked it because I reacted, I would scream and beg for them to stop. My dad would just stand there, my mom usually left the room. I don’t know if it was so she would make sure no one found out or if she just couldn’t stand it, but it didn’t stop. I didn’t think it would ever stop.” Alec closes his eyes and lets Magnus ground him from the onslaught of memories that flew into his head at the reminder of the memory. Alec considers to just stop it there, let it just stay where it was and try to escape with pastries in Paris before going into work but he couldn’t. He takes a deep breath and squeezes Magnus’s hand tightly. Alec opens his mouth as if he’s about to continue but closes it back up, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

“Darling?” Magnus prompts and runs a comforting hand through Alec’s hair, trying to help relax him. Alec sinks into his arms, closing his eyes at the comforting and reassuring presence that his lover brings whenever they’re together.

“I started to use it on myself. I thought maybe I’d...I don’t know. I thought maybe I’d gain a tolerance to it or just be able to make it easier. But I guess the pain made me feel like I was properly punished, even when they were in Idris. I would use it to punish myself whenever Izzy or Jace got hurt because of me, or when they would go on an unsanctioned mission. It got pretty bad. What was worse was that in a way, the constant use did start to wear it out. Like any rune but my dad didn’t like that, so he would use ten or twelve to get the same level of pain he was use to hearing.” Alec’s voice breaks off and he closes his eyes while letting out a slow breath. Magnus squeezes him closer, kissing Alec’s temple and whispering into his ear,

“You don’t deserve that.” Magnus promises and squeezes Alec a reassuring squeeze. Alec opens his eyes and looks up at Magnus with an almost desperate look, “You don’t Alexander.” Alec shrugs his shoulders and goes back to leaning into Magnus’s chest, enjoying the safety he feels with his boyfriend.

“It only stopped because Jace found out. They had been gone in Idris for a while, but of course they were still getting reports from the interim head of the Institute. They went ballistic whenever they went back and found out Jace, Izzy, and I had gone on multiple missions we weren’t supposed to go on. Dad was using them like they were candy and normally, I could keep the pain from going through the bond but I was in too much pain. I wasn’t use to that many episodes of pain in one sitting.” Alec explains and takes a steadying breath, “Jace flipped, to this day, I have never seen Jace as mad as he was in that moment.” Alec has a shaky smile on his face at the memory but it doesn’t reach his eyes, instead his eyes are wet and shiny.

“Alexander, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” Magnus whispers and Alec shrugs his shoulders a little, looking a little dejected and sad.

“It’s okay Magnus.” Alec shrugs and turns to hug Magnus tightly, “Thank you for listening to me. I’ve never told anyone. Not even Jace knew the full story.” Magnus cups Alec’s chin, forcing the shadowhunter to look up at him. Magnus kisses him sweetly before turning serious once again.

“I need you to promise me, if either your parents ever do that again or you ever feel that way, I need you to come to me.” Magnus pleads and waits a moment for Alec’s nod before continuing, “Out of everyone, I know what that rune feels like. Alexander, I’m so sorry that I couldn’t have helped you then but I can now. I’m here for you, I always will be.” Alec nods again and searches Magnus’s eyes for any sign of dishonesty or disgust in his eyes. He relaxes when he doesn’t find any and feels himself sink into Magnus’s chest.

“I promise.” Alec whispers before Magnus presses a kiss to Alec’s hair. Magnus can’t help but think that Alec looks extremely adorable curled up against Magnus’s chest. Alec pulls back suddenly, looking at Magnus with a mix between happiness and thankfulness. The shadowhunter kisses Magnus eagerly before pulling back slightly to whisper against Magnus’s lips, “Pastries?”

“Of course my dear.” Magnus smiles against Alec’s lips and as much as he wants to continue this conversation, wants to drive it into Alec’s brain that he did not deserve that, he knows that the shadowhunter wants to ignore that it happened more than anything. Shadowhunters are prideful people and even though Alec is much different than his people, that pride runs deep. Especially in a family such as the Lightwoods. So Magnus stands up and pulls Alec towards his chest as he stands, leading the two of them towards the kitchen. Magnus waves his hands, causing the table to appear covered in food within an instance. Magnus pulls his chair up next to Alec’s and the two of them eat leaning against each other. They keep up a steady flow of conversation about Magnus’s clients or Alec’s duties as the head of the institute.

“Thank you.” Alec whispers some time later. The two of them are back in bed, lying beside each other and they’re facing towards each other. Magnus is back to tracing Alec’s chest and as he comes up on the agony rune, he presses a kiss to it.

“I love you.” Magnus answers in turn and Alec beams at him, relaxing under Magnus’s hands and the two of them lose themselves. Alec may be late returning to the institute that day and Magnus may look a little uncomposed when his first client arrives but that’s really no ones business.


End file.
